Tiger Muskie Ahh the famed tiger muskie. A hybrid and sterile fish deriving from northern pike and muskellunge, this toothy monster has been introduced in Colorado lakes primarily for control of other species.
Only lakes in the Fish Explorer database are included in this listing. Lakes we feature on this website are hyperlinked.
Ahh the famed tiger muskie. A hybrid and sterile fish deriving from northern pike and muskellunge, this toothy monster has been introduced in Colorado lakes primarily for control of other species. This top-of-the-foodchain predator loves eating anything it can find. But true to normal fish behavior, it will key in on the easiest obtainable food and locate itself in the highest-probability location to obtain easy meals. The fish from our experience is spookier than muskie, not as dumb as pike, and is very well fed with the natural sources of food. This makes it a very difficult trophy to find, catch and land.
Tiger Muskie are sterile hybrids and do not reproduce. The state record by length is 58 inches, the state record by weight is 40 pounds, 2 ounces. Those are HUGE fish. If you keep one thinking it is a state record, which would be very exciting, memorize these numbers.
Proper landing and release are essential to the survival of tiger muskie. To ensure safety for yourself and these fish, carry long pliers with you. Large nets and cradles are encouraged if you intend to catch one. Handling the fish by hand can be dangerous, but to lift the fish out of the water briefly for a photograph, you'll need to do so. See this site for more information on handling muskie. When fishing for these fish, use line as heavy as you can muster to avoid break-offs. 80-pound braided is as thin as lighter mono and avoids many abrasion-related breaks.
Colorado Master Angler Award qualifying length for Tiger Muskie is 40"
Colorado Released Fish Record for Tiger Muskie is 58"
From the Colorado DOW: The tiger muskie is a hybrid of northern pike and muskie. These fish were introduced into Colorado in the 1980s for the purpose of biologically controlling suckers and carp and providing a trophy-sized fish .The biggest fish ever caught in Colorado was a tiger muskie. Their long snout filled with teeth and dark tiger striped sides on a light body make them easy to identify. Many anglers relish the trophy fishing opportunities provided by these denizens of the deep, that in Colorado may reach over 40 pounds. The best opportunity to catch a tiger muskie would be by throwing large lures over vegetation during the summer. Northern pike look like tiger muskie, but have whitish irregular chain markings on a dark body.
